The period of distrust between the Soviet Union and United States was known as the Cold War. Learn about the origins of the era, essential events and the shaping of the national security state.

Definition of the Cold War

The Cold War was a period of economic, political and military tension between the United States and Soviet Union from 1945 to 1991. Following the end of the Second World War, complications arose centering on the shifting of international power. The Soviet Union wanted to acquire additional territory while the United States attempted to limit the gains desired by the Soviets. This battle of ideologies resulted in increased national security, diplomatic tension and proxy wars between the two powerful nations.

Genesis of the Cold War

The beginning of the Cold War is linked to the Potsdam Conference in the summer of 1945. The intention of the meeting was to discuss the realignment of post-war Europe. However, discussions broke down into threats. The United States and Soviet Union agreed upon the division of Berlin, but the Soviets, under the leadership of Joseph Stalin, wanted to acquire Poland as a buffer against future attacks.

President Harry Truman rejected Stalin's demands, citing the right of self-determination in the case of Poland. Truman then revealed his master card: the atomic bomb. Upon learning of the destructive weapon, Stalin ordered a crash program to commence in order to speed arms development and counter the atomic bomb.

Truman and the Cold War

President Truman may have had the most profound effect on heightening the tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. In September 1945, as a means of limiting Soviet economic reconstruction, Truman suspended the Lend-Lease Act, which was an infusion of monetary and military aid from the United States to beleaguered nations during the Second World War. This aid helped nations such as Britain, France and the Soviet Union economically survive the war years. Unfortunately, the plan backfired as the Soviets decided to acquire satellite states, (known as members of the Warsaw Pact) in order to make up for the lost funding.

With Soviet expansion came a heightened fear from both the United States federal government and the general American public. This trepidation was increased upon the release of United States Diplomat to Moscow George Kennan's 'Long Telegram', or the 'X-Article.' Kennan was a trusted adviser to Truman, and his 'Long Telegram' became the basis for the policy of containment. As you will see, the development of a national security state was the byproduct of Kennan's recommendations, as well as the growing fear of expansion of communism.

In 1947, the Truman Doctrine was issued in an attempt to combat the Soviet menace. The policy called for money to be transferred to third world nations, such as Greece and Turkey, in an attempt to prevent communist expansion and gain allies in the battle against communism. The Truman Doctrine was synonymous with the Marshall Plan, launched in the same year. The Marshall Plan encouraged funding to reconstruct European nations devastated by the Second World War. The hope was to prevent Soviet subversion into the weakened governments.

Truman also passed the National Security Act of 1947. The legislation led to the creation of the Air Force, National Security Council, Central Intelligence Agency and Department of Defense. All of this was done in an effort to combat the Soviet Union and communism.

Containment

Containment was the foremost tool of the United States in combating the Soviet Union. This policy, drafted by Kennan and approved by Truman in 1947, called for action to be taken against international communist expansion. As a visual, imagine a fictional fence being erected around the Soviet Union by the United States. This was the general idea of containment and keeping communism from spreading into different countries. Containment was eventually enlarged as the United States suspected communism in places such as Laos, Germany, Vietnam, Korea and Cuba.

Other Early Cold War Events

During the Truman presidency, several other notable Cold War events transpired. The creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, in 1949 symbolized the unity against communist expansion by Britain, Canada and the United States. The same year also witnessed the development of the hydrogen bomb by the United States, as well as the severing of diplomatic ties with Mao Zedong's communist China.

However, one of the most important happenings within the first several years of the Cold War was the passage of National Security Council Report-68, or NSC-68. The report called for significant military enlargement by the United States. The Truman Administration believed that the Soviet Union had totally disregarded international authority with its nuclear weapons testing, and was primed to exert itself throughout the world. NSC-68 authorized military expenditures that included the development of surface-to-air missile sites. The rapid buildup and response of the United States would be tested in Korea.

Lesson Summary

In summary, the Cold War began in 1945 and was a period of tension between the United States and Soviet Union. President Harry Truman fueled the fire by using the atomic bomb as leverage and issuing the Truman Doctrine to fund democracy in third world nations. The containment policy was developed by George Kennan, and was the foremost strategy of battling international communist aggression. Upon learning of the Soviet Union's nuclear program, the United States passed NSC-68, which enlarged funding toward anti-communism programs.

Learning Outcomes

Completing this lesson should enable you to:

Describe the Cold War and how it began

Identify Harry Truman, Joseph Stalin and George Kennan

Define the Lend-Lease Act, the Truman Doctrine, containment and NSC-68

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